


Nightbird Rises

by nightbirdssidekick



Category: Glee, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Bisexual Barry Allen, Blaine Anderson is Nightbird, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, M/M, Nightflash - Freeform, nightbird!blaine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28942866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightbirdssidekick/pseuds/nightbirdssidekick
Summary: A new rogue appears in Central City and steals everything that sparkles. Barry, Caitlin and Cisco quickly figure out that he’s a metahuman with birdlike powers. Meanwhile, Barry meets a musical stranger who seems to have powers of seduction. Why else would Barry feel drawn to him?
Relationships: Barry Allen/Blaine Anderson, The Flash/Nightbird
Comments: 20
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story only requires basic knowledge of the Flashverse. It’s set in Barry’s second year of being the Flash.
> 
> I’ll try to post a new chapter at least every other weekend. Feel free to let me know what you think!

When the Flash arrived at the museum, everything was dark and quiet. It was the brief moment of tranquility after the noisy alarm had been turned off and before the police would show up. 

“Damn!” he cursed. Barry was too late. Again. 

“Let me guess... He’s gone.” Cisco’s voice coming from his earpiece sounded annoyed.

Barry sighed audibly. “Give me a sec, I’ll meet you at the lab.”

He looked around the dark museum hall once again and then sped off towards S.T.A.R. Labs. A few seconds later, Barry was standing in front of a grumpy-looking Cisco in the cortex. 

“I don’t even know why I should hunt him,” Barry said after pulling his mask off. “He doesn’t seem to hurt anyone. Who cares about the stuff that he steals anyway? I just can’t get used to getting up in the middle of the night for this once a week. It’s frustrating. Our alert system is just too slow for him. Once we’re up, he’s basically gone already. Tonight, I was close to staying in bed and I think, next time, I will.”

Cisco rolled his sleepy eyes. “If our alert system is too slow at night, we’ll have to improve it. It’s true that this guy doesn’t seem all that dangerous, but imagine the next supervillain were a night owl like this one. We’d be screwed. So maybe we should use this as a training opportunity and persist until you catch him. He’s a criminal after all, even if he doesn’t seem to have a cold gun. But do we even know that? Nobody has ever seen him, except for that security guard who claims that he saw a flying dude with a cape.”

“Okay,” Barry sighed. “Can we discuss this further tomorrow? I should get back to bed. I’m afraid that the loss of sleep will compromise the powers I need to fight  _ real _ villains.”

After a look at the time on his computer, Cisco cursed. “It  _ is _ late. I’m gonna lie down again.”

“Are you crashing at the lab tonight? You got here really quickly.”

Cisco yawned and mumbled, “Worked late last night and I wanted to start early tomorrow... today. See you later.”

Two minutes later, Barry was back in bed, but he had trouble falling asleep. Cisco was right. Even if Central City’s newest serial thief wasn’t particularly violent, he was still a criminal who had already stolen several gems from museums and jewelers all over the city. He had to be stopped. 

Apart from that, Barry couldn’t stand losing and he had lost against that guy way too often. Next time, he swore to himself, he would chase him down.

* * *

Only five nights later, Barry was rudely awakened by another call from Cisco. Groaning, he picked up the phone. 

Cisco’s voice sounded hoarse but determined. “Attwood Gallery. He seems to be after a big one this time. He set off an alarm at the back of the building and it’s a fairly long way from there to the jewelry. He must still be there. Hurry!”

Seconds later, Barry entered the gallery through the same backdoor the intruder had taken and raced towards the part of the building where the jewelry was located. The hallways and rooms Barry had to pass on the way there were dark. Once again, the thief had found a way to turn off all the lights after they had been turned on by the alarm system. Barry could barely see and didn’t dare run at full speed because he didn’t want to risk crashing into a million-dollar sculpture.

The jewelry on display at the gallery was a collection from some European royal family and the most important object was a gold ring with a giant sapphire, lined with miniature pearls. Barry had seen a photo of it in the paper and cursed himself for not being better prepared. It should have been obvious that the thief would come here. Barry wished he hadn’t been distracted by Captain Cold again in the past few days. The jewel thief had completely slipped from his mind. 

When Barry reached the room with the sapphire, he could tell that somebody else was there. The faint light from the emergency exit sign was still on and he could make out a shadow bent over the display case containing the ring. 

Barry ran up to the thief and pushed him aside. Judging from the touch, he could tell that the criminal was wearing some kind of armor and a cape. The thief moaned when he hit the ground.

With a quick look at the display case, Barry could vaguely make out that the ring was gone. He turned to the thief on the ground, prepared for an attack, but not all too concerned. “Are you going to give me the ring and surrender voluntarily or do I have to use force?”

Barry could hear a quiet laugh. “I’ll go for the third option.” With a whoosh, the shadow jumped up and seemed to be gone. Just like that.

For a split second, Barry’s blood ran cold. The thief had disappeared so quickly that he could have been another speedster. But then, Barry heard a sound in the other corner of the room, somewhere close to the ceiling. The guy hadn’t gotten away yet.

Without being able to see much, he sped towards the sound, jumped and was able to grab a leg above him. The thief was, indeed, flying. 

A hard blow against his head made Barry loosen his grip and fall to the floor. If it hadn’t been that dark, Barry would have seen it coming and just avoided the other guy’s fist, but the thief seemed to have a clear advantage in the dark. It was as if he could see exactly where Barry was.

There was an obvious solution to that problem. Barry started to zip back and forth in the room, trying to confuse the thief. If he wasn’t a speedster, the thief could no longer see where Barry was. Meanwhile, Barry tried to hear any sounds that might give away the thief’s location.

Just at that moment, Cisco’s voice chimed in through Barry’s earpiece. It had only been three minutes or so since he’d called Barry, so Cisco must have slept at the lab again if he was already in front of his computer.

“Damn, I can hack into the security cameras, but it’s too dark. I can barely see anything except for your red streaks.”

“Yeah, I can’t see anything either. Can you shut up for a moment?” Barry hissed, instantly regretting his sharp tone. It wasn’t Cisco’s fault that the thief was driving him mad. He heard another whooshing sound near the door he had come from and sped after it. 

Barry caught the flying man’s cape and pulled him to the ground. The hallway they were in now wasn’t as dark as the other room because it had windows to the outside and was faintly lit up by city lights. Barry could see that there was some sort of logo on the dark cape. It looked like a flying bird in a white circle. 

The thief turned around and threw some punches, but now that there was some light, Barry was able to avoid them and he could finally take a closer look at the man. He was wearing a black, Zorro-like mask over his eyes. His hair was dark and somewhat glossy. The thief was showing his shiny, white teeth in a grimace of anger as he tried to fight the Flash. 

“Yes, Barry, you got him!” Cisco yelled and, briefly distracted, Barry almost missed the faint fluttering sound that was coming from somewhere behind him. The sound quickly got louder and, suddenly, a flock of crows came flying around the corner and dashed at Barry.

The birds’ speed wasn’t overwhelming, but Barry was still taken off guard. While he was trying to figure out what to do, the thief escaped from his grasp and flew into the direction the crows had come from. Barry immediately lost sight of him because the birds were blocking the way.

“Barry! Run after him! What the hell are you doing?” 

“I don’t know what to do with the crows,” Barry snapped back, ducking away from them. “Are they real animals? Should I hurt them? Kill them? I don’t know, Cisco!”

“Oh my god! You’re letting a thief escape because you’re worried about angry birds that are trying to peck your eyes out? Unbelievable! Run the other way if you don’t wanna harm any innocent animals!” 

Barry turned around and ran in the opposite direction of the thief. He sped through all the hallways and rooms in the building, still compromised by the lack of light. The thief was nowhere to be seen or heard.

After a while, about ten policemen came running through the main entrance with flashlights, but it was already too late. The thief was gone. Barry had let him escape again. 

All the police could find was about fifty crows that were now peacefully walking around the hallways in search of crumbs. They were caught by Animal Control and set free again later.

At that point, Barry was already in bed again, still awake and brooding. He had been so close. He had almost caught him.

The worst thing was that he didn’t have a choice anymore. Barry knew now that he had to catch him, no matter what, because the thief was a metahuman, just like him. He had to find out what his powers were and if they were destructive enough to turn Central City into a wasteland.

* * *

The next day, Barry arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs with an awful feeling in his gut. He was supposed to discuss the happenings of the previous night with Cisco and Caitlin, but he just felt terrible about the whole story. He’d been defeated by a flock of birds. That was probably the most embarrassing setback he’d suffered as the Flash.

“Okay, so at least we have security tapes this time,” Caitlin said, leaning back on her chair. “The one from the room with the jewels is probably too dark, but we can see him on the one from the hallway where Barry caught him.” Barry and Cisco were standing behind her, looking at the computer screen. 

“Yeah, well, you can see the logo on his cape here,” Barry said, pointing at the screen. “It’s a bird in a circle.”

“Could be the silhouette of the moon,” Cisco commented.

“And here you can see the mask. I don’t think I would be able to recognize him without it, although he does have remarkably nice teeth,” Barry said dryly. 

“So he’s wearing a dark suit with a cape and some kind of armor. What else do we know about him?” Caitlin asked with a pensive expression on her face.

“He can fly and he has crow friends. I can’t believe the guy went all Hitchcock on you,” Cisco said with a chuckle. 

“Not funny,” Barry sighed, rolling his eyes. He usually liked Cisco’s humor, but this whole story was just too frustrating. “I think he can see in the dark. He was navigating very confidently while I couldn’t see where he was going.”

“Night vision, flying, crows,” Caitlin summed up. “It’s almost like he is some kind of birdman. There are birds that can see in the dark, owls, for example. What other powers could he have if he’s... like a bird?”

Cisco rubbed his chin. “Migratory birds have a great sense of direction. Scientists haven’t even found out how that works. It could have something to do with the Earth’s magnetic field. Those birds know exactly where their destination is located without ever having been there before. Maybe our thief has some crazy sense of finding what he wants.”

“And why does he want what he wants?” Barry asked. “None of the things he’s stolen have turned up on the black market so far.”

“Maybe he likes collecting them for himself. Like a magpie that likes shiny objects and accumulates them in its nest,” Cisco said with a grin.

Caitlin raised her eyebrows in surprise. “When did you become a hobby ornithologist?” 

“My grandfather is a birdwatcher,” Cisco said with a shrug. “He told me a lot about birds when I was little. I can recognize some bird species just by hearing their song. Hey, maybe the guy can sing well, too.”

“Okay, so he’s a birdman,” Barry chimed in impatiently. “How can we catch him? With a net? Or is shooting him down the only option?”

“Haha, you’re not funny either,” Cisco said with an annoyed look. “By the way, birdman sounds silly. How about... Nightbird?” His face lit up and he looked as if he had just discovered a new planet. “Yeah, that’s it, he’s Nightbird!”

Barry buried his face in his palms, shaking his head. 

After seeing Barry’s reaction, Cisco’s face darkened again. “Barry, have I told you that you can be pretty bitchy when you don’t know how to figure out a new villain? I’m here to help you, but I should be allowed to have some fun doing that.”

“I’m sorry,” Barry mumbled, desperation written all over his face. “I just really wanna catch this guy. There are more important things to worry about than him, so I just want to get it over with.”

“Okay,” Caitlin said with a confident smile. “Maybe a net isn’t a bad idea. Very hands-on. Barry, you can also create a turbulence with your arms to bring him and his bird friends down. A combination of that should do.”

“That sounds almost too simple, considering that I’ve already tried to catch him six times.”

“Seventh time’s a charm,” Cisco said with an optimistic grin. “Give me a day or two and I’ll make you a net that he can’t escape from. In the meantime, you guys should find out what his next target could be. Probably something shiny. Nightbird likes  _ flashy _ things...”


	2. Chapter 2

Due to the nightly bird hunt, Barry was tired that evening, but he had a date that he didn’t want to miss. He’d first met Dr. Alicia Pattinson at the hospital where he’d accompanied Joe for a check-up. When they had run into each other again at Jitters, they had exchanged numbers. 

Barry had already flaked on her twice because of spontaneous metahuman emergencies and he knew that she was going to dump him for good if that were to happen again. Although there wasn’t a spark between them yet, he liked Alicia and he was still hoping that she’d be the one who would finally help him get over Iris. There had to be someone who could.

The two of them met at a fancy restaurant downtown that had a little fountain in the entrance hall and a beautiful grand piano in the middle of the main dining room. After Barry and Alicia had been seated at a table near the piano, they tried to have a conversation, but that turned out to be more difficult than expected.

Barry noticed that Alicia’s head kept turning towards the pianist who was playing Sinatra’s _Fly Me To The Moon_ , singing along with an angelic voice. At first, Barry was close to being offended by Alicia’s lack of attention for him, but he found himself being drawn to the musician as well.

The young man was about Barry’s age. He was wearing a black suit with a flashy cyan bow tie. His black hair was gelled back in an elegant, old-fashioned way. He seemed to be completely in his element and had a smile on his face that was simply captivating. The man was definitely an eye-catcher. Barry looked at the other tables and realized that Alicia wasn’t the only one watching the musician in awe. 

When the song was over, Alicia awoke from her daydream and seemed to remember that she was on a date with somebody. “I’m sorry, did you say anything?” she asked with an embarrassed smile.

Barry hadn’t said a word, but his stomach was rumbling. “Uhm, are you ready to order?”

“Sure,” Alicia replied, nodding and notably tense. The musician was playing again and she seemed to be trying hard not to turn her head away from Barry again.

“This guy is pretty good, isn’t he?” Barry asked with a nod towards the piano player.

“Uh, yeah, really good,” Alicia replied briefly, visibly blushing. 

_Great_ , Barry thought. It was the first time that he had ever taken a date to a restaurant that expensive and she had nothing better to do than to fall for the pianist. That was just his luck. 

They ordered their meals and started to talk about this and that, but it didn’t go very well. And then, Alicia got a call from work.

“I’m really so, so sorry, but I have to rush to the hospital. There’s an emergency... I’m _so_ sorry,” Alicia said with a devastated look. She had already jumped up and thrown on her coat. 

“It’s okay,” Barry said quickly, surprised and disappointed, but nobody knew better than him what it was like to dash off because of some emergency. This was just the first time that he was the person to be walked out on.

“I’ll call you, okay?” Alicia wasn’t even looking at Barry. Instead, she took a good last look at the piano player.

“Sure,” Barry replied with a forced smile and watched her hurry out of the restaurant. He sighed and took a large sip of his wine. He knew that alcohol wouldn’t save his evening since he would require a much higher concentration of it to get drunk, so he decided to enjoy the music at least.

Barry turned towards the pianist and watched him play and sing Elvis’s _Can’t Help Falling In Love_. Barry had to admit to himself that it was no surprise that Alicia had lost interest in him while a man like that was in the room. He was stunning. 

And then, all of a sudden, he looked at Barry. When their eyes met, a strange expression crossed the pianist’s face for a split second. If Barry hadn’t been a speedster, he surely would have missed it. It had an air of recognition, as if the man was surprised to see Barry. As if he knew him somehow. The expression was gone as fast as it had appeared. Instead, there was a smile on his face again and... what a smile. The man was beaming at him and Barry was so amazed that he completely forgot to wonder what the strange look had been about. 

Only seconds later, Barry realized that he was staring and that his jaw had dropped, which was probably the reason why the musician’s smile had turned into an amused grin. Thankfully, the food arrived and Barry had his plate to pay attention to - and Alicia’s across from him because she was no longer there.

Before Barry could take his first bite, the live music stopped and was replaced by a jazz playlist. Barry’s head shot back to the pianist, who had gotten up from his stool. He was probably taking a break or his shift was over. Whatever it was, it made Barry feel a rush of mild panic. For some reason, he didn’t want the man to leave. 

Barry looked at the plate across from him and then back at the musician. He was smiling at Barry again. As if controlled by an unknown power, Barry decided that he couldn’t waste the opportunity. He smiled back at the pianist and waved him over. The strange power was even messing with his basic body functions. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate and he was suddenly feeling very warm, as if he was running. 

For a moment, Barry was sure that there was another metahuman in the room, someone who was able to control him, his body and his feelings. He was feeling giddy, very giddy. 

Barry briefly looked around the room. Everyone was chatting or eating now. Nobody was paying attention to him except for the piano player. There was no trace of another metahuman, unless... Barry couldn’t think clearly. He just knew that he needed to know more about that man.

The musician cocked his head and gave Barry a questioning look. Barry waved again and, finally, he came over. The closer he got, the faster Barry’s heart was beating. Was it possible that the man was the source of that weird power? 

When the young man was standing in front of him, Barry did his best to regain control over his body and mind. If the stranger was a metahuman, Barry needed to be focused. He pointed at the empty chair across the table. 

“Do you happen to be interested in,” Barry looked at the other plate, “a high-priced salad with... gross-looking mushrooms?” 

The musician looked at the salad and back at Barry, smiling his charming smile again. “I’ve never tried black trumpets, but, as a musician, that’s definitely on my bucket list.” He looked at the empty chair and frowned. “But isn’t that seat taken? Where did your girlfriend go?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Barry said quickly - too quickly. What was wrong with him? “She had to leave. Emergency at the hospital. She’s a doctor.”

“A doctor, wow. Sorry, I don’t think I can replace that kind of top-notch company,” the man said with an apologetic smile. From up close, he turned up to be even more attractive. He had large hazel eyes and amiable eyebrows with a recognizable triangular shape. His smiling lips were remarkably rosy and beautifully formed. They looked outright _delicious_.

Barry pinched himself in the thigh. He had to focus. “Oh no, you’re... You were amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a good live performer before.”

The pianist looked flattered and finally sat down. “Thank you. That means a lot. I don’t get to hear that often.”

“Really?” Barry couldn’t believe that. “Don’t you play in front of an audience on a regular basis?”

“I do, but people go to restaurants and cafés to eat, drink and chat. I think most people don’t even notice me.”

“That’s definitely not true. I saw that many people were watching you. Do you also give actual concerts?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t really want more attention than what I get here. I just love making music. I’m Blaine Anderson, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Blaine. I’m Barry Allen,” Barry replied, still fighting with himself. His mouth was suddenly very dry and he gulped down the rest of his wine. “So, dig in,” he said and took a first bite of his lasagna. 

Barry was glad when he had something in his mouth. He closed his eyes and focused on the taste of the food on his tongue. When he opened them again, they immediately wandered back to Blaine who had started to eat the salad. Even the way his jaw moved when he was chewing was strangely mesmerizing. Barry started to panic a little. He wished Cisco’s voice was in his ears to calm him down. Whatever was happening to him was borderline terrifying.

“So, Barry,” Blaine said, “what do you do for a living?”

“I work for the CCPD.”

“Oh really? That sounds interesting.” Blaine raised his triangular eyebrows in surprise, his amber eyes open widely. The word _adorable_ crossed Barry’s mind. Something was very wrong.

“Well, it is, but it’s also a lot of paperwork. It’s a nerdy job.”

“Do you also get to catch criminals?”

“No, that’s something the detectives do. I’m CSI. I usually get there after the crime has been committed.”

“That sounds about right. You wouldn’t be fast enough,” Blaine seemed to mumble while slicing a mushroom in two with his knife.

Bewildered, Barry dropped his fork. He wasn’t sure what Blaine had said. It had just been a mumble, but it had sounded like... “Excuse me?”

Blaine gave him a particularly sweet smile. “Huh? I just said the mushrooms are good, even though they look nasty. Did you know that they’re called black trumpets because people believed the dead used them as instruments? Well, it’s just a theory, but they definitely look like somber trumpets sticking out of the ground.”

Barry couldn’t help but stare again. He was still trying to recreate Blaine’s words in his head, but that smile was so captivating that Barry couldn’t concentrate at all. Hadn’t he clearly heard something along the lines of _not fast enough_? Barry knew that he could be paranoid when it came to comments on his speed and maybe his mind had played a trick on him, but he was pretty sure that Blaine hadn’t said anything about mushrooms. Then again, he couldn’t think straight for some inexplicable reason.

“That’s... fascinating,” Barry stammered and pinched himself in the thigh again. “So, you’re a musician. Are you from Central City?” He gulped down large bites of his lasagna that was already getting cold.

“No, I’m from Ohio,” Blaine said and sipped on the wine they had ordered for him.

“What made you come here?”

“I don’t know to be honest.” Blaine shrugged. “It just felt right to come here. Plenty of nightlife, bars, restaurants... I just felt drawn to this city and I don’t regret moving here. My life has certainly become more interesting. I like the air here if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I think I do.” Barry didn’t. “Is your shift over now?”

Blaine nodded while chewing on his last bite of salad.

Barry looked at the empty plate and felt the panic return. He didn’t know nearly enough about Blaine yet. “I’m sorry for keeping you from going home. Somebody must be waiting for you.”

“Oh no, please don’t apologize for that. Thank you so much for letting me join you for dinner. And... I don’t have anyone who’s waiting for me at home. I currently don’t have a _boyfriend_ ,” Blaine said with a coy smile.

At that moment, Barry felt the uncanny power again, more strongly than ever. His pulse was racing. He was feeling hot. His thoughts were running wild.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked, a confused look on his face. He may have even looked a little hurt.

Barry realized that the only notable reactions he had displayed after hearing Blaine’s words had been silence and a dropped jaw. Blaine was probably thinking that Barry had a problem with his sexual orientation.

“Yeah, uhm, you don’t have a boyfriend - well, that’s great news!” Barry stammered and let out a desperate laugh.

Blaine looked at him even more confused. “I can’t really follow. Why is that great news? Are you looking for one?”

Barry was talking himself deeper and deeper into trouble. “No, I just mean, it’s great that you’re gay... I mean... I just want you to know that I don’t have a problem with that, it’s great!” Barry laughed hysterically. He desperately needed the ground to open up and swallow him.

Blaine laughed with him, clearly feeling awkward. “That’s good to know. Well, I think I should go now... How much do I owe you for that salad?”

“No!” Barry noticed that he had almost been yelling. “Sorry, I... I mean, you don’t owe me any money for dinner.” Barry’s heart was pounding. Something was off and it had to do with Blaine. He had to find out what it was. Maybe Blaine was a metahuman. He couldn’t lose track of him. “You don’t owe me anything, but... can I maybe have your number?” Barry was feeling sweat run down his back now.

This time, it was Blaine’s jaw that dropped. Slowly, his lips curled into a smile... a knowing smile, to be precise. “Oh... Okay, sure.” 

With a shaking hand, Barry took his phone out of his pocket, added a new contact and asked Blaine to type in his number. When Blaine handed him the phone back, the expression on his face had changed completely. His smile was confident and flirtatious. It was so seductive that Barry was incapable of saying or doing anything to correct Blaine’s obvious assumption.

“Thank you for dinner. I’m hoping to see you again soon,” Blaine said in a gentle, musical tone as he stood up.

Barry shot up from his chair, too. For the first time, he realized that Blaine was a few inches shorter than him. The way the man was looking up at him with his bright eyes and smile was almost too much.

“You’re welcome. See you soon,” Barry managed to say. 

As he watched Blaine walk out of the restaurant, he tried to focus on the reaction in his body. He was feeling a strong urge to go after Blaine that passed after a couple of minutes. When Blaine was gone, he felt his heartbeat and temperature go back to normal, too. 

At that point, Barry was sure that Blaine was a metahuman with some creepy power. And he was determined to prove it.

* * *

“Listen, I’m telling you the guy has a secret and I’m not gonna let him get away with it,” Barry said, mildly frustrated. 

He was standing in front of Caitlin and Cisco in the Cortex, trying to convince them that he had met an incognito metahuman, but they didn’t quite believe him. They were sitting in their chairs with doubtful looks, throwing one counterargument after another at him.

“The metahumans I know love to destroy buildings, steal shit or try to kill as many people as possible,” Cisco said in a patronizing tone. “Your acquaintance sounds like a nice guy with striking looks and musical talent. Is it possible that you’re just jealous?”

“No, I _told_ you that something was messing with my body. He has powers. Who knows, maybe he can use them to kill people. What if he can make organs go haywire? Make hearts explode? We have to stop him before he does something we can’t undo.” Barry had told them almost everything about his dinner with Blaine, except that Blaine was gay and under the impression that Barry was into him. That part of the story was definitely too personal.

“Okay,” Caitlin finally gave. “How about we monitor your vitals next time you meet him? Of course, it would be easiest if you were wearing your suit, but that’s probably not the most practical idea. I’ll figure something out.”

Barry let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Cait.”

“Should we also listen in?” she asked.

“No!” Barry said quickly, thinking of how embarrassing his last conversation with Blaine had ended. “That won’t be necessary.”

Cisco still looked skeptical. “The other day, you basically told us that you didn’t think it was necessary to hunt a flying metahuman, who can control birds and has stolen gemstones worth millions of dollars. _Now_ you’re obsessed with bringing down a normal, harmless human being, who just happens to be blessed with a pretty face and talent. Can we please talk about priorities? I’ve spent all day making that net and it’s far from done. Can I just stop doing that, now that catching Prince Charming seems more important? Maybe a mirror is enough to make him follow you into the Pipeline. Narcissus style.”

“Cisco...” Barry was close to freaking out. “Look, you have to trust me with this one, okay? I could feel that something was weird. Usually, my feelings don’t betray me, you know that.”

“Alright.” Cisco said begrudgingly. “Follow your feelings. But I suggest you let Caitlin help you with that. I have a net to weave.”

“We’ll figure this out,” Caitlin said with a confident smile and Barry had no doubt that she would be able to help him get to the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

The next nightly theft alert came in only two days later. Cisco hadn’t finished the net yet, but Barry still heaved himself out of bed and reached the small jeweler’s shop ten seconds later. Of course, he’d arrived too late again. Several of the display cases were empty. 

Barry stepped outside of the shop and looked up at the sky. Down the road, slightly above the high-rise buildings, there was a dark shadow moving away at a relatively high velocity. 

“Nightbird,” Barry snarled and ran after him. 

Suddenly, he heard Cisco’s voice over his earpiece. “What? Is he still there?” Cisco asked, out of breath. He seemed to be on his way to the lab.

“He’s flying away, I can see him. I’m getting closer.”

Barry raced up the facade of a high-rise building. Thankfully, the buildings downtown were all a similar height and not too far apart, so he could easily follow the thief by jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Up there, Barry got a better look at him. Nightbird was flying effortlessly, his cape waving in the wind. In one hand, he was carrying a bag that probably contained all the missing pieces from the jewelry shop.

When the thief noticed that the Flash had come after him, he stopped mid-air. Floating above a huge intersection where the Flash couldn’t reach him, he grinned at Barry and called, “Hi there! Can I help you somehow?”

Barry didn’t appreciate the thief’s condescending politeness. “I’m here to finally catch you. I’m way faster than you and your ability to fly won’t save you. If you don’t come here voluntarily, I’ll jump at you and drag you down. You will definitely end up in cuffs tonight.”

Nightbird unexpectedly burst into laughter. “Oh Barry, please. Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Barry stared at the criminal in shock. “What did you just say?” Had he really just said his name? How was that possible?

The thief moved a little higher but closer towards the building Barry was standing on. “Yeah, you heard that correctly. I know who you are, Barry Allen, CSI. Maybe next time you run into a dark museum, you shouldn’t tear your mask off in angry frustration when you think you’ve come too late. There’s always a chance that the guy you’re after is actually still around. Just because you can’t see anything, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be seen.”

A shiver ran down Barry’s spine. It was always a bad thing when an enemy knew about his identity. He looked up at Nightbird, who was still coming closer and contemplated what to do next. That the thief knew his name made it even more important to catch him. 

Unfortunately, Nightbird was flying higher now. Barry could catch flying objects - and people - by using the kinetic energy from his speed, but he couldn’t jump very high from a standing position.

“Hmmm, are you trying to figure out how to catch me up here?” Nightbird was at least twenty feet above him. “You know, it’s nice of you to come here just to play tag with me, but you should have asked in advance. Tonight, I’m not really in the mood for games. Maybe next time.”

The thief’s arrogance and his own lack of creativity made Barry furious. He wished he already had Cisco’s net so he could throw it at the criminal.

“See you, Barry! Have a good night!” Nightbird yelled from up above and flew away, his cape waving behind him.

Barry briefly considered following him over the rooftops, but the thief was flying way too high for him. “Damn!” he cursed.

At that moment, Barry heard Cisco’s voice again. “I just got to the lab. Sorry, I missed the last few minutes. How is it going?”

“He’s gone,” Barry said in an annoyed tone. “He was flying way up where I couldn’t reach him and I had to let him go.”

“Barry!” Cisco exclaimed so loudly that it hurt Barry’s ears. “How could you just let him go? You almost had him! Why didn’t you do what Caitlin suggested? Force him down by generating a whirlwind with your arms? I got up in the middle of the night for nothing again? You gotta be shitting me.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Barry said, getting even angrier at himself, but also at Cisco. “Listen, I’m tired, too. I forgot about that easy solution because you keep talking about your high-tech net all the time.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault that you let a criminal escape?” Cisco snapped.

“No, it’s not It’s mine,” Barry replied in a more controlled voice after taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m just really pissed because he knows who I am.”

“Wait. He knows that you’re Barry?”

“Yes,” Barry confirmed with a sigh, “and that’s my fault, too. So, yeah, I fucked up and I’m in a really bad mood because of it. How about we just go back to bed now?”

“Okay,” Cisco agreed, sounding grumpy and tired.

Barry ran down the building and straight home. He didn’t feel like meeting Cisco at the lab this time. He hated that the two of them were snapping at each over this case so often because Cisco was his best friend and Barry was more than grateful for his help.

 _Just another reason to catch Nightbird as soon as possible_ , Barry thought when he was back in bed.

* * *

After having lost out to Nightbird again, Barry was desperate for success. He needed a victory in order to get rid of the self-doubts that had been crawling around in his mind. The following week, he spent most of his time on the treadmill at S.T.A.R. Labs, trying to get faster and to come up with a plan to catch Nightbird.

But Nightbird wasn’t the only thing on Barry’s mind. His thoughts frequently drifted back to that night at the restaurant and his peculiar acquaintance. Just the other day, he had found himself staring at Blaine’s number on his phone. 

Barry felt strangely torn about contacting him. On the one hand, he was sure that something was wrong with the musician and he wanted to find out more. That was his duty as a superhero. But on the other hand, Barry felt extremely nervous whenever he thought about asking Blaine to hang out again. The reason for that was mainly his own embarrassing behavior at the restaurant. He had reacted to Blaine’s remark about not having a boyfriend in such a strange way that Blaine had to be thinking that Barry was interested in him. But that wasn’t even really a problem. Barry would just have to make clear that this wasn’t the case.

Panting, Barry jumped off the treadmill and wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. He was overthinking this. His objective was just to find out if Blaine was a metahuman and that’s what he would do.

He walked over to Caitlin, who was sitting in front of her computer. “I’ve been thinking about meeting that meta from the restaurant again. Have you already prepared the devices for tracking my vitals?”

“Sure, I’m ready when you are.”

“Perfect,” Barry replied and when he got home, he threw himself on the couch, took a deep breath and messaged Blaine.

* * *

Barry had agreed to meet Blaine at a piano bar after his shift. Caitlin wired Barry up with multiple electrodes and he went to the bar a little earlier than planned. 

The venue was dimly lit and had a cozy atmosphere. Barry took a seat at the bar, ordered a beer and watched the musician. Blaine was playing _American Pie_ by Don McLean, singing along with a passion that knocked everybody’s socks off, including Barry’s. Although the piano bar was a much more casual place than the restaurant, Blaine looked just elegant and handsome as he had when they’d first met. He was wearing a blue blazer with a scarlet bow tie and his hair was gelled back again.

When Blaine announced his last song for the night, he caught sight of Barry, who had been smiling the entire time without realizing it. Blaine smiled back at Barry and gave him a wink. That’s when the weird reactions in Barry’s body kicked in again. His heart started to beat faster and he was suddenly feeling hot. 

For a moment, Barry was overwhelmed by his body’s response, but then he remembered that the devices attached to him were recording all of it and Caitlin would check it the next day. It was a good thing that this was happening again. She would surely be able to figure out what Blaine was doing to him with his potentially harmful metahuman powers.

After he’d finished playing _Dream A Little Dream Of Me_ , Blaine got up and bowed for the cheering crowd. As another pianist took over, Blaine walked over to Barry. A beaming smile was on his face again that seemed to amplify the effects his powers had on Barry.

Trying hard to focus on his mission, Barry greeted Blaine with an awkward fist bump. A quick look around confirmed his suspicion that several guests, mostly females, had their heads turned towards them. 

“Great to see you again! How long have you been listening? I didn’t see you come in,” Blaine said cheerfully and sat down on the bar stool next to Barry.

“Hey... Uh, just a few minutes, actually,” Barry replied with a bashful smile. They hadn’t been that close to each other before and Barry’s brain felt as if it had just been fried when he got to look into Blaine’s big, honey-colored eyes from such a short distance.

“Should I order a drink here, too, or shall we go elsewhere?”

Barry had already emptied his bottle in need of hydration. “I think fresh air would be good if you don’t mind,” he said, feeling completely woozy. The meta’s powers were already at work.

“Sure, I’ll just grab my bag. Meet me outside,” Blaine said and vanished.

Barry was glad to have a moment to collect himself. He stepped outside the bar and filled his lungs with cool November air. Blaine joined him only a few minutes later and the funny feeling inside him instantly returned. 

“What would you like to do?” Blaine asked. He was wearing a black pea coat and looked as if he had just emerged from the pages of a fashion magazine.

Barry knew it would be best not to go to another bar because it was literally easier for him to stay cool outside. “How about we take a walk along the river?”

“Sounds great,” Blaine said with a smile that was definitely flirtatious. Barry’s legs felt as if they were about to give out.

They started to walk next to each other and reached the nearby river only a few minutes later. Barry was glad that Blaine did most of the talking, telling him about an incident at the restaurant earlier that week.

“... and then, suddenly, the husband came storming inside the restaurant. He looked so mad. When he found them at their table, he started yelling like a maniac. The whole room went quiet and, of course, I stopped playing, too. The other guy looked scared to death, but the wife just kept enjoying her dinner and ignored the husband. When he didn’t shut up, she took her glass of red wine and tossed it at him. I have to add that he was wearing a white shirt.”

“Oh my god,” Barry said with a chuckle. “Does stuff like that happen often?”

“More often than you’d think. But this one was particularly wild. She started to yell, too, accusing him of cheating on her with his secretary and yadda yadda yadda. The manager kicked all three of them out. And then I got a lecture from him, too, because I should have continued playing to distract the other guests. But they would have heard those guys anyways.”

“Uff, I’m sorry to hear that. None of that was your fault.”

Blaine laughed quietly. “It’s okay, I’m used to that tone. My dad is just like that. It goes in one ear and out the other.”

As they walked, Barry tried to keep his eyes on the river. It looked deeply black in the dark, except for the reflections of city lights on the surface. Every now and then though, he snuck a look at Blaine, whose facial expressions were so vivid and enthralling that he could barely tear his eyes away.

“Is your father like that, too?” Blaine asked.

“Oh... No. I mean, he can be tough. He’s a police detective. But he’s very supportive. And he isn’t really my dad... Well, he kind of is my dad, but...” Barry hated himself for stammering like an idiot again, but Blaine seemed to understand that the topic was complicated and steered the conversation into a different direction. 

They kept walking for more than an hour. At some point, they crossed a bridge to the other side, walked back south along the water and crossed another bridge until they were almost back to where they had started. They talked about trivial things, such as movies, music and sports, but Barry’s pulse rate stayed fairly high for most of the time, confirming his suspicions.

When they had been walking in silence for a minute, Blaine stopped, cocked his head and smiled at Barry in anticipation. “I was really surprised when I got your message. I didn’t really expect to hear from you again.”

Barry turned towards Blaine and stared at him helplessly. His heart was pounding harder again. He had to say something. Anything. “Having dinner with you was very interesting.”

“Interesting,” Blaine repeated with a chuckle. “I think that’s an understatement.” He looked at the floor for a few seconds, before giving Barry another flirtatious smile. “Uhm... I live over there,” he said, pointing to one of the high-rise buildings down the street. “Would you like to come up to my place? It’s really getting cold out here... and I have beer.”

Barry was still staring. He was desperately searching for words, or at least a clear thought. Going up to Blaine’s apartment would definitely send the wrong message, but it was also a chance for Barry to learn more about him. So far, he hadn’t found out anything useful.

“Yeah, why not?” Barry managed to say after some hesitation.

“Alright,” Blaine replied with a broad smile, “follow me.”

They didn’t talk while they walked over to the building and stepped into the elevator. Blaine kept smiling, but lowered his gaze to the ground, while Barry felt sweat run down the back of his neck. The powers were getting more intense the closer they got to Blaine’s apartment. Barry was sure that he would be able to find more clues there, but he had a hard time keeping his nerve.

When they had arrived on the top floor, Blaine led him to his apartment, unlocked the door and let Barry step inside before him. Barry entered a spacious living room with a kitchen unit in one corner. There were two doors that probably led to the bedroom and the bathroom. The apartment wasn’t big, but very neat and tastefully decorated. Shades of blue and gray were the dominating colors. An acoustic guitar rested on a large cyan couch and an electric piano stood right next to it.

“Have a seat, make yourself at home... Oh sorry, let me get that,” Blaine said, picked up the guitar from the couch and placed it on a stand next to the piano. “Would you like a beer?”

“Yeah, thank you,” Barry said after he had sat down on the couch. He watched Blaine get two bottles from the fridge and turn on some music on his laptop. 

Suddenly, he remembered that he had come up to the apartment in order to find out information about Blaine and not to gawk at him. Barry looked around the room, but there was nothing strange about it. The only notable thing was that there were fresh flowers on the table. It was weird but nice and definitely not suspicious.

Blaine sat down next to Barry raised his bottle before taking a sip. He had taken off his blazer and the bow tie and looked just stunning in his simple, white shirt. For the first time, Barry noticed Blaine’s smell. It was like a mixture of lemon balm with fruity notes. Whatever products Blaine was using, they smelled alluring - and vaguely familiar, but Barry didn’t remember where he had come across them before.

“You have a very nice apartment,” Barry said. 

“Thanks. I only just moved here a couple of months ago. I love that it’s so far up. You can even see the river. And S.T.A.R Labs.”

“S.T.A.R. Labs?” Barry asked, startled. He hadn’t been thinking much about that part of his life that night.

“You said that you go there for work sometimes.”

“Oh, right,” Barry replied and took a deep breath. “I have friends who work there.”

“That particle accelerator explosion must have been quite a disaster for your friends. I mean, it was for everyone.”

Barry’s pulse sped up again. This was his chance to find out more about Blaine’s powers. “Yeah, it was. It was that kind of day you’ll never forget. I was at the CCPD Headquarters when it happened. Do you remember where you were?”

“I was out in Memorial Park. Being hit by the impact was crazy. I was very lucky I survived,” Blaine said with a serious look that quickly melted into a smile again. “But after surviving something like that, your life gets a whole new meaning. I’d say my life is much better than before.”

“Why?” Barry asked, feeling the sweat on the back of his neck again. This was it. He would soon find out.

“I feel more powerful. I feel like I can do things I wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

“Such as?” Barry was so close. 

“Asking you up here,” Blaine said with a laugh. “I used to be pretty shy. But after having survived that blast, I keep telling myself that I only live once and I should be making the most of everything. It sounds corny, but it’s true.” 

Blaine’s eyes were sparkling with excitement and Barry’s jaw had dropped once again. That was not at all what he had expected to hear, but it made his vitals go haywire.

“Barry, I...” Blaine’s voice was loaded with emotion. “I really enjoy spending time with you and I think we have more in common than you’d expect. I’ve never met anyone like you before. I’m so glad that our paths crossed. I feel like it was supposed to happen.” 

Blaine moved closer to Barry, who couldn’t move at all. He was staring at Blaine in amazement and panic. When Blaine laid his hand on his knee, Barry felt a wave of heat rush through his body. Blaine’s alluring scent was coming closer and closer.

Barry was a speedster. Compared to normal human beings, he could experience moments in slow motion. And thus, he watched Blaine lean in towards him for what felt like an eternity. He had a million chances to escape, but every time his muscles asked the simple question, _Run?_ , something inside Barry said, _Stay_. It had to be the meta’s mysterious power.

As Blaine was moving closer, only about an inch away from his face now, Barry watched him close his beautiful hazel eyes. He watched his delicious lips open just a tiny bit. 

And then, Blaine’s lips had found his. Soft, warm skin met soft, warm skin. Meanwhile, Barry’s heart rate had accelerated to absolute top speed, his body temperature had gone through the roof and he felt a tickle in his stomach that seemed familiar and brand new at the same time.

Blaine began to move his lips against Barry’s and Barry... Well, Barry joined in. He had to, Blaine’s power was forcing him. There was no way to fight it, Barry had given in. 

Barry had never kissed a man before and he was surprised to find out how natural it felt. Blaine was clean-shaven, but Barry could still feel the tiniest bit of stubble rubbing against his chin. It was an entirely novel sensation. 

Encouraged by Barry’s positive reaction, Blaine opened his mouth a little wider and brushed the tip of his tongue against Barry’s lips. There was moisture, there was a faint taste of beer, all of it more than pleasant. When Barry’s lips parted as well, Blaine’s tongue searched for his and when they touched... Barry finally realized what he was doing.

He pulled away from Blaine and stared at him in shock. When he had gained control over his muscles again, he jumped up, about to follow his urge to run away. But he hadn’t completed his mission yet. He knew next to nothing about Blaine, so he decided to escape to the bathroom to calm down. 

Barry stormed towards one of the two doors. Of course, he accidentally opened the one to the bedroom first, quickly closed it again and tried the other. When he had found the bathroom, he locked the door behind himself and stood in front of the sink, gazing into the mirror. He still looked the same. Like Barry Allen. Although he had kissed a man.

Thoughts were racing inside his head. He couldn’t focus on his task at all. He looked around the bathroom. There wasn’t anything special about it either. But Blaine’s powers were real, they had just been stronger than ever before. And what had he said about having something in common with Barry?

After a few minutes that felt like an eternity to him, Barry realized that he couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. He would have to face Blaine and deal with the situation.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw that Blaine was still sitting on the couch, elbows resting on his knees, his face buried in his palms.

“I’m sorry,” Barry said with an embarrassed smile.

Blaine lifted his head and looked at him. He seemed devastated. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...”

Barry shook his head. He was still freaking out inside, but he knew that he had to hide it, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to complete his mission. He had to stay strong. Fortunately, he had learned how to do that as the Flash. He would fight and win at the end.

He walked over to Blaine and sat down next to him, determined to hold on to his trust. “Blaine, I... I don’t know what to say. I never kissed a guy before and I was taken by surprise. It was... _good_.” It had been more than good. But Barry was sure that the pleasure he’d felt hadn’t been real. It had just been a consequence of the meta powers. “But maybe we should take things slow. I think I should go now, but I’d like to see you again.” Barry had a feeling that he wouldn’t get any further that night. Also, his body was feeling drained from enduring the meta powers.

Blaine still looked upset. Barry had obviously damaged his radiant self-confidence, but Blaine, too, seemed to be a fighter. He took one deep breath and recovered his flawless smile. “Okay. I’m surprised to hear that someone like you wants to take things _slow_ , but I’m down with that.”

They walked to the door together and hugged, which sent another current of _whatever that power was_ through Barry’s body. One more time, he inhaled Blaine’s amazing smell. He also enjoyed the feeling of Blaine’s strong arms around him. It was... too much. He had to get away.

Barry didn’t take the elevator, so he could run down the stairs. He had to run. He ran through the whole city that night, along the river, back and forth, until he couldn’t run anymore.

When he got home, his body seemed to have recovered, but his mind hadn’t. He couldn’t stop thinking of Blaine. Something was very wrong.

 _Caitlin_. She would know what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry couldn’t wait to talk to Caitlin the next day. Before work, he raced to the lab, running so fast that he almost crashed into Cisco when he arrived in the Cortex.

“Barry!” Cisco gasped. “One day, you’re gonna get me killed and then you guys can make your own suits and devices. I wonder how that would work out.”

“Where is Caitlin?” Barry asked, out of breath.

“I’m here.” Caitlin waved at him from the medical bay. Barry was so out of it, he hadn’t even seen her.

“Have you already checked the data from last night? Have you been able to interpret the anomalies? I felt the powers again. I’m one-hundred percent sure it was him.”

Caitlin gave Barry a weird, contemplative look. “Uhm, Cisco, didn’t you want to go and work on that net?”

“I don’t really _want_ to. But I’m almost done, so I should get it over with,” Cisco said with a sigh as he begrudgingly left the Cortex.

Barry was getting increasingly nervous. “What’s wrong? Why did you send Cisco...”

“Barry,” Caitlin interrupted him. “I think you should sit down for this.”

He walked over to the med-bay and sat down on the cot, full of expectation but also a pinch of fear. What if Blaine’s powers were so destructive that they had already damaged something inside him? He didn’t want to believe that Blaine would do that to him on purpose, but who knew.

Caitlin still had a disquieting look on her face. “I could see that your vitals were off the charts. As you said, your pulse rate was significantly heightened and your body temperature was elevated. Your breathing was quicker than usual and there was increased body perspiration.”

“So?” Barry desperately needed to hear her conclusion. “What does that mean?”

Caitlin closed her eyes and seemed to brace herself for something. She looked at Barry again with a sympathetic smile. “These are all signs of extreme stress. Your body reacted to... something. But there were no signs of external influences in the form of a superpower that might have taken control over you. Barry... do you understand?”

Barry shook his head in silence. He didn’t understand anything.

Caitlin hesitated for a moment before pulling herself together. With a steadier voice but with the same affectionate expression on her face, she continued, “The data suggests that your body’s reaction to that person was extraordinary. Yet, this reaction looks natural to me. The symptoms you had point at anxiety or even... sexual arousal. In both cases, I have to conclude that you’re intensely attracted to that person.”

Barry stared at her, dumbfounded. He didn’t know if he should be mad or embarrassed or just amused. That was absolutely impossible.

When Barry didn’t answer, Caitlin cocked her head and smiled. “You mentioned that he’s handsome, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but... No!” Barry said loudly, shaking his head and shaking inside. “How can you think... _that_? I told you he has meta powers and what you saw is proof of it.”

“Barry,” Caitlin said gently. “I’m just telling you that what you felt is natural and that I have no reason to assume he used any powers on you. Nature is powerful, too, you know? There’s that one moment towards the end of the recording, where your vitals went through the roof. It looks as if something deeply emotional happened. I don’t want to invade your privacy, but it almost looks as if you guys had some kind of physical contact and...”

“Caitlin!” Barry exclaimed, outraged. “That doesn’t make any sense! Why don’t you believe me?”

She looked slightly offended but continued to talk in her gentle, understanding tone. “You asked me what all this means. Considering everything I’ve seen and heard, I’d say that you could be... bisexual.”

Barry felt like he couldn't breath. He had to get out of the lab. “I gotta go.” He jumped up and sped away, just to return to Caitlin a millisecond later. “Please don’t tell anyone about this,” he said and after he’d seen her nod, he sped away again. 

Just like the night before, he ran and ran until he was drained, but his thoughts kept racing. Caitlin had to be wrong. If he was attracted to men in any way, he would know. Then again, would he? 

Barry was 26 years old and for as long as he could remember, he’d been in love with Iris. There hadn’t really been space for anyone else in his heart. His life had been so centered around Iris that the few other girls he’d dated had merely distracted him temporarily from thinking of her. 

Iris was a woman - but did that prove that he was strictly heterosexual? Actually, it only proved that he wasn’t strictly homosexual and there was something in between the two extremes. Barry had just never thought about that because he had always been way too focused on Iris.

At the CCPD Crime Lab, Barry continued to brood, unable to focus on his work. He spent multiple hours reading articles about topics such as single-target sexuality, sexual fluidity and growing up in a heteronormative society. Finally, he had to admit to himself that Caitlin’s hypothesis wasn’t entirely absurd.

Barry realized that he didn’t even remember what it had felt like when he’d first fallen for Iris. He had been a kid. He thought about how he’d felt around Blaine, not just physically but also emotionally. Admittedly, Blaine was extremely handsome, extraordinarily likeable and overall intensely attractive. Without a doubt, Barry was attracted to him and he wanted to be around him.

Then he thought of the kiss. It had felt great. Somehow, he wanted more of that. More kissing, more touching, more... Barry realized that he was having desires that he hadn’t even had when he’d been dating those other girls. Maybe this was what it felt like to fall for somebody in your twenties. How was he supposed to know after having been obsessed with Iris forever?

But Caitlin’s hypothesis was just a hypothesis. It was a simple scientific explanation for something that could be much more difficult. Barry’s theory was just as plausible. Blaine could still be a meta and his attractiveness could be his power. Maybe his power was seduction. Maybe he used it to get whatever he wanted. Barry thought about how Cisco would name Blaine if this theory turned out to be true. The Seducer? Mr. Love?

Suddenly, out of nowhere, it hit him. Barry knew what had to be done next. He would ask Caitlin to test Blaine’s DNA. A test like that would show whose assumption was right.

Barry killed some time with Cisco after work. They watched a movie at Cisco’s apartment without snapping at each other for a change. Around nine, Barry announced that he was tired and left. Obviously, he wasn’t tired. On the contrary, his pulse was racing because he was going to steal some of Blaine’s DNA.

After throwing on his Flash suit, Barry raced to Blaine’s apartment. He stood in front of the apartment door and listened. There was no sound. Barry had hoped that Blaine would be playing piano at some restaurant or bar that night and that seemed to be the case. 

Barry phased through the door and found himself in a semi-dark apartment. The city lights were illuminating the room just enough for him to see the silhouettes of the furniture. Of course, Barry felt bad for doing this, but he needed a definite answer.

First, he tried to find a suitable object in the bathroom. He turned the light on and scanned the room for something that might carry Blaine’s DNA. There was no hairbrush, just a clean comb without any hair in it. Blaine had probably rinsed it after applying his hair gel. Barry cursed. He couldn’t possibly steal the toothbrush. 

Back in the living room, he couldn’t find anything either. Blaine’s apartment was spotless. 

Finally, Barry entered the bedroom and switched the light on. The room’s pleasant scent reminded him of Blaine and the memories of the kiss returned. He looked at the bed that was covered with blue satin sheets and his mind trailed off. He pictured Blaine in that bed. He imagined what could have happened after the kiss if he hadn’t ruined everything.

Suddenly, Barry felt a strong surge of Blaine’s powers again. He wasn’t sure if that was just because he was in Blaine’s apartment or because Blaine was on his way home. He had to hurry.

Barry lifted the blanket a bit and found what he was looking for. There was a black hair on one of the pillows. He put the hair into a paper envelope, switched all the lights off and left. He didn’t see Blaine on his way out, but he could still feel the powers. It was the strangest thing.

* * *

The next morning, Barry stormed into the lab again.

“Caitlin! You have to run a DNA test on this!” he demanded and handed her the envelope. “Please,” he added ruefully when he saw her offended look. 

“What is this?” she asked and took the envelope.

“It’s a hair. It will show us if he’s a meta.”

“Okay... I won’t even ask where you got this,” Caitlin said with a stern look.

“It doesn’t matter,” Barry said, “I just really need to know.”

“Alright, but this takes time. If we’re lucky, we’ll have the result by tonight.”

“Thank you so much! I owe you,” Barry said, smiling, and hurried off to the crime lab.

The day went by much too slow. After work, Barry checked with Caitlin, but she wasn’t done yet, so he started to run on the treadmill. He only stopped when Caitlin called him about two hours later.

Barry rushed over to the med bay. “So? Is he a meta?”

Caitlin didn’t look very pleased. She nodded. “Yes, you were right. He has the metagene.”

Barry instantly felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off him. “I knew it! I told you. Oh my god, this is such good news!” He let out a sigh of relief. All the agonizing over his sexuality had been a waste of time. Blaine was a meta. The Seducer. Barry was only feeling drawn to him because of his powers of attraction.

“But I still doubt that his powers caused the reactions in your body,” Caitlin added with a worried look on her face. “We don’t know what his powers are.”

“I do, Caitlin. I _felt_ them,” Barry countered. He felt so much better now, knowing that he’d been right all along.

“Okay, well, if his powers are limited to making people fall for him, at least we don’t have to worry about him reducing Central City to rubble,” she said in a sarcastic tone.

“First of all, he’s not making me fall for him. It’s just a meaningless physical reaction to his powers. Secondly, he could still use his powers to manipulate people. We have to stay on this.”

“Alright, if you say so. But you shouldn’t forget the other metas on the loose. Cisco finished the net for Nightbird. There’s going to be an opening of a new exhibition at the Natural History Museum this weekend. They’re gonna show a collection of very rare gemstones in the geology section. I have a feeling that our bird might be interested in those.”

“Perfect,” Barry said with a grin. Everything was finally falling into place. “We’ll have another guest in the Pipeline soon then. Thank you so much again, Cait.” He walked up to her and gave her a tight hug. “You saved my day.” 

Barry felt incredibly elated, as if he could achieve anything he wanted. When he got home, he didn’t even hesitate before dialing Blaine’s number.

“Barry?” he heard Blaine ask. Barry could basically hear the smile on Blaine’s face. He pictured it and it was beautiful.

“Hey, how are you doing? I don’t hear any music in the background, I’m assuming you have the night off,” Barry said cheerfully. “I just felt like calling you. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course.” The line went silent for a moment. “I was hoping you’d call. I wouldn’t have contacted you, I think.”

“Why?” Barry asked, surprised.

There was another pause, this time even longer. “Because now you know how I feel about you. And after I... _showed_ you, you left. It makes me think that I made everything up in my head. And even if you feel the same way, it’s quite likely that you’ll get stuck in denial because you’ve never been with a guy before.”

Barry was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say. If Blaine knew about his own powers, why did he suddenly sound so bitter and insecure? “Blaine... I feel... something. I’m just not sure what that is and what you... what you’re doing to me. We’ve only met twice.”

“Actually, we’ve met more often than that and I know that we have something in common that not many people share. But... whatever. You’ll see one day.” Suddenly, Blaine’s tone turned cheerful again. “So, you felt like calling me. I guess that’s a good sign. Do you also feel like hanging out again?”

Barry was surprised about the change of topic, but he went along with it. He wanted to see Blaine again. But it was already Wednesday and he had to work on a strategy to catch Nightbird, who would probably try to snatch some gemstones from the museum that weekend. Maybe he could do both at the same time. “I sure do. Hey, do you like museums? I haven’t been to the Natural History Museum in ages and I was planning on going on. Do you want to come? How about Saturday afternoon?”

There was a pause again before Blaine answered. “Uh, okay. That’s really funny. I was planning on going there this weekend, too. Another thing we have in common,” he said, chuckling. “I have to work on Saturday, but my shift doesn’t start until six. How about we meet at the museum at two? That should give us enough time.”

“Sounds great. I’ll see you on Saturday then. Have a good night,” Barry said, realizing that Blaine’s powers were working over the phone as well.

“Good night, Barry. Sleep well,” Blaine replied and Barry could tell that Blaine was smiling again. He knew exactly what that smile looked like. It was the flirtatious one.

After they’d hung up, Barry stared at the phone in his hands for a while, deep in thought. Once again, Blaine had mentioned that they had something in common. Barry had a hard time coming up with any idea what Blaine had hinted at. He wasn’t particularly musical. They had found out that they liked the same TV shows, but that couldn’t possibly be what Blaine had meant. 

Then it dawned on him. Blaine could have been referring to their metagenes. But that would mean Blaine knew Barry was the Flash. 

_Impossible_ , Barry thought and ditched the idea.


	5. Chapter 5

When Cisco presented the net to Barry and Caitlin, he had a proud smile on his face. But at first glance, the device didn’t look anything like a net. 

“I know it looks like a flashlight, that’s why I call it the _Flashnet_ , pun intended. This metallic part is the enclosure of the net and at the same time the handle of the device,” Cisco explained. “The net is inside and you can release it by pushing the button on the handle. Once you push the button, the net automatically finds its way to the target and captures them. Once the target is surrounded by the net, they will no longer be able to use their meta powers. The material is power-dampening _and_ tear-proof. Please tell me I’m a genius.”

“You’re a genius,” Caitlin said with an impressed look on her face.

“Can we test it?” Barry asked. He wasn’t entirely convinced yet. 

“Sure,” Cisco agreed. “Are you volunteering?”

Barry nodded.

“Okay, run in a circle. Not at Flash speed, of course. I didn’t build the device to catch speedsters.”

Barry started to run around the Cortex at a relatively low speed. After Cisco pressed the button, Barry saw the net shoot out of the handle and fly towards him. He stopped short and changed his direction, but the net followed him. He could have easily avoided it, but he tried to behave like a person with normal speed and let himself be captured.

The net wrapped itself around Barry and he immediately felt that his powers were gone. He tried to free himself, but it was impossible.

“It’s working,” Barry said with an excited smile on his face. “This is great!” 

“It will also work if the target is further away. The net has a range of about fifty feet. There’s a cord attached to it and the net will pull it out of the handle if it needs to fly further. Just never let go of the handle,” Cisco said. “Remember to be careful when you use it to capture our birdman. If you catch him while he’s flying, he’ll drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Make sure he has a soft landing.”

Cisco helped Barry out of the net and pushed the button on the handle. The net got pulled right back into it.

“You’re a genius,” Barry finally admitted and gave Cisco a hug. 

At last, he was optimistic again. He would catch Nightbird. He just knew he would.

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Blaine and Barry met outside the Natural History Museum and greeted each other with an awkward embrace. They hadn’t seen each other since the night they’d kissed. Barry instantly felt Blaine’s meta powers again and it took him some effort to keep his thoughts under control.

The museum was a beautiful, old building that Barry remembered well from his childhood. His parents and Joe had taken him there numerous times. Blaine and Barry first walked through the halls that housed the museum’s botany collection. After that, they reached the palaeontology section. 

The dinosaur skeletons were still as impressive as when he’d seen them as a little boy, but Blaine’s powers were constantly distracting him from studying the bones of the prehistoric creatures. It was downright annoying and Barry wished Blaine would just stop. Blaine kept giving him his most beautiful smile and his eyes were beaming with excitement. It was hard for Barry to turn his gaze away from him. 

“They’re amazing! Can you believe they actually lived here millions of years ago? It’s crazy,” Blaine gushed. “I’ve always liked dinosaurs, especially Diplodocus, the ones with the long neck. When I was a kid, I always wanted one as a pet. I thought it would be able to reach the top of the cupboard in our kitchen for me. My mom always stashed the cookies there and I had no chance to reach them. I was a short kid. Hey, did you know that birds are basically living dinosaurs? I mean, not really, but scientists believe there’s a close link between them. Many species of dinosaurs may actually have had feathers and we may have gotten an entirely wrong picture of them so far.”

Barry chuckled. Blaine’s fascination with dinosaurs was adorable. “Were these dinosaurs the reason why you wanted to come here? I like them, too, but I have to admit that I was scared of them when my parents took me here as a kid.”

“That’s completely understandable. Those teeth are scary. Yeah, I wanted to see them, but I’m also curious about the new gemstone exhibition.”

“Me too. But should we go to the zoology collection first?”

Suddenly, Blaine had a frown on his face, but he nodded. “Uhm... Sure, let’s go there.”

Barry didn’t think much of Blaine’s reaction and led the way to the halls with the taxidermied animals. There were animals from all continents, hundreds of mammals, reptiles and birds.

As they walked through the isles between the display cases, Barry kept sneaking looks at Blaine, who was getting paler and paler. When they reached the stuffed birds, Blaine stopped.

“Barry... I’m not feeling so well, I think I need some fresh air. Just keep looking around, I’ll be back soon,” he said in a weak voice and hurried out of the hall. 

Confused, Barry watched him walk away, not sure what to do. He couldn’t just continue his tour through the museum while Blaine was feeling bad. Barry was worried about him, so he decided to run after him. He found Blaine sitting on a bench outside.

“Hey, are you okay?” Barry asked and sat down next to him.

Blaine nodded. He was already looking better. “I’m sorry, I was just feeling a little nauseous.”

Barry remembered Blaine’s weird reaction when he’d suggested they could go to the zoology collection. “Was it because of the stuffed animals? I’m sorry, I understand that taxidermy isn’t for everyone.”

“Yeah, I’m just not a big fan of it. I don’t know, dinosaur bones aren't really that different, but... those stuffed animals look so... _alive_. As if you could communicate with them, but they’re just empty shells. You know, I’m one of those weirdos who goes out to feed pigeons and ducks. I enjoy their company somehow. Seeing them like that is just... sad.” There was a mixture of grief and disgust on Blaine’s face.

“I’m sorry. If I’d known that, we could have skipped that section,” Barry said regretfully.

“No,” Blaine said quickly and unexpectedly squeezed Barry’s hand, sending a shiver down Barry’s spine. “It’s fine. You know what, let’s go back inside. I still wanna see the gemstones.” Blaine’s disarming smile was back in place and Barry followed him inside. He would have followed him anywhere.

When they reached the geology section, the expression on Blaine’s face was just as excited as when they’d been looking at the dinosaurs. He seemed particularly fascinated with the sparkling minerals and his eyes shone even brighter when they entered the hall with the new gemstone collection. 

There were beautifully cut and polished gems of all colors, many of them gleaming like miniature disco balls. There were opals, garnets, rubies and many other pretty pieces. A black topaz that glistened like a flame in uncountable colors caught Barry’s eye. 

Meanwhile Blaine rushed to a display case containing mostly greenish and blueish gemstones. His eyes widened in amazement. “Paraiba tourmalines, sapphires, lagoon beryls, alexandrites, mint garnets,” he mumbled, “and a _grandidierite_!”

“A what?” Barry asked and walked over to him.

“They even have a grandidierite. I’ve never seen one before. It’s _so_ beautiful.” Blaine stared at the gemstone in awe as if it was the Holy Grail.

“It’s a nice color. A bit like your couch and the bow tie you wore at the restaurant. Is this your favorite color?”

Blaine nodded, still glaring at the gemstone as if he was hypnotized. 

Barry smiled, somehow touched by the delighted look on Blaine’s face. But then he remembered why he had come to the museum in the first place. He let his eyes wander through the hall and tried to imagine how Nightbird would break into the museum and how he would try to escape. Barry assumed that security measures at a natural history museum were much weaker than at a gallery. It would probably be easy for Nightbird to get access.

“Hey, if you wanted to steal these gemstones, how would you do it?” Barry asked. 

Blaine’s head shot around to him. “What? I’m not gonna steal them! I just like to look at them...”

Barry laughed at Blaine’s astonished expression. “I know. But I’m a CSI, remember? I think these gemstones could become an easy target for thieves because the Natural History Museum isn’t very well secured. You seem to know a lot about these gems. They’re precious, right?”

Blaine still looked wary. “Yes, very much so.”

“So how would you do it?”

“I don’t know,” Blaine said with an embarrassed chuckle. “I think I’d just come and leave through the door like everyone else... Wouldn’t you? I don’t know. I don’t have the imagination for that.”

“Okay. No worries, I was just thinking I could get a step ahead if I knew how a thief would try to get in here.”

“But you said that you don’t catch criminals as a CSI,” Blaine said with an inquisitive smile.

Barry’s heart dropped into his gut. “Uhm, yeah, but I’m working closely with my dad, who is a detective. I meant _we_ could get a step ahead of a potential thief.”

“I see,” Blaine said, smiling, and focused on the gemstones again while Barry walked around the room, searching for possible escape routes.

They had to leave soon because Blaine’s shift at the restaurant was about to start. Before they parted ways, they hugged again outside of the museum. The embrace was just as awkward as before, but Barry savored every microsecond of it. He inhaled Blaine’s alluring scent and enjoyed the feeling of Blaine’s arms around him. And suddenly, something very unexpected happened. He felt that he was getting hard.

Shocked, Barry pulled away from Blaine. Whatever Blaine was doing to him, this was going too far. Panicking, he looked down at his crotch. Fortunately, his parka was long enough to cover up what was happening in his pants.

“Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?” Blaine asked with a smile that was flirtatious but not without an air of timidity. “I missed you.”

Barry’s problem was getting worse. “Sure, just message me, okay?” he said nervously. 

“Will do,” Blaine replied, this time with his familiar confidence. “Have a good night!”

Barry watched Blaine hurry away, trying to calm down. He still felt it. A desire. A sexual desire. Sexual? Bisexual? Barry started to walk back home very slowly while his thoughts were running wild. What if Caitlin was right after all? 

_No_ , Barry thought. Blaine was a meta. He had powers and he’d been using them on him. Just this time, Blaine had gone too far. 

Barry was no longer confused. He was outraged.

* * *

When the alert came in on Barry’s phone that night, he was still awake. He hadn’t been able to sleep, brooding over what had happened at the museum and especially outside of it.

“Damn,” Barry cursed and got out of bed. He should have been better prepared for this. He should have thought out a better plan to catch Nightbird. He should have been focused on his task. Blaine was a terrible distraction.

Barry threw on his Flash suit, grabbed the Flashnet and sped to the Natural History Museum. When he arrived, he was surprised to find all the doors locked. He phased through the main entrance and raced to the geology section. 

When he reached the hall with the gemstone exhibition, he noticed that several display cases were opened and so was one of the upper windows right under the high ceiling. The thief was already gone. Barry figured that he must have used the window to get in and out. A normal thief couldn’t have done it, only one who was able to fly.

Barry raced out of the museum and saw Nightbird’s silhouette against the night sky. He caught up with him quickly by running up to a rooftop again and by jumping from one building to the next. 

When Nightbird noticed him, he stopped. Just like the last time, he slowly approached Barry with a condescending smile on his face. “It’s great to see you again, Flash. I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you at the museum, but I’m a busy man. Maybe you should work on your speed.”

Barry laughed, confident of his impending victory. “I don’t think that will be necessary. I got you this time.”

Nightbird floated a little closer towards Barry but also higher up into the air. “I beg your pardon. I’m up here and you’re down there.”

Fifty feet. Barry couldn’t allow Nightbird to fly higher up than that or the net wouldn’t reach him. He clutched the device tightly, getting ready to shoot the net at the thief.

Grinning, Nightbird flew up higher. He was floating about thirty feet above the rooftop. He was right above Barry now, who could see the cyan underside of the waving cape.

“I’d stay here to play with you, but this game is kind of unfair, don’t you think? You may be fast, but you’ll never catch me up here. Do you mind if I just split?” Nightbird’s tone was just as arrogant as the last time they’d met and Barry felt anger well up inside him.

Nightbird was floating up higher and higher. Thirty-five feet. Forty. Forty-five. Barry had to act fast.

He pointed the Flashnet at the thief and pushed the button. The net shot up into the air and, only a second later, it was wrapped around Nightbird. The metahuman immediately lost his powers and started to fall, crying out in fear.

As Nightbird tumbled down, Barry made sure he was standing right underneath him to catch his fall. When the thief landed in his arms, gravity turned out to be stronger than expected and Barry collapsed under his weight. They both ended up on the ground.

“What the hell is happening?” Nightbird cursed and jumped on his feet, trying to find a way out of the net. “Why can’t I...”

Barry watched the thief with a satisfied smile. “Power-dampening material. You won’t be able to fly away this time.”

Nightbird’s jaw dropped and he stared at Barry in horror. “What? No! This is... This is unfair!”

Laughing, Barry got up from the ground. “It’s not unfair. It is just. You’re a criminal and you will get a just punishment.”

Nightbird’s eyes went wide with fear. “No, I... Barry,” he stammered. “You can’t do this!”

“I sure can. It’s my job as the Flash,” Barry said. “I don’t care if you know my real name. I won’t soften because of that.”

“But Barry...” A weak smile appeared on Nightbird’s face. He took a step towards Barry and stopped right in front of him. “I really missed you. I did.” 

All of a sudden, Barry was overcome by an eerie feeling. He had heard these words before. Somehow, he had also seen this smile before. These wonderfully plumb lips. He had heard this voice saying his name exactly like that.

Barry was so stunned that he was unable to move as Nightbird leaned in. Completely paralyzed, he watched Nightbird’s face come closer. And then, through a hole in the net, the thief’s lips landed on his.

Thunderstruck, Barry just stood there. Nightbird’s lips were amazingly soft and his fruity scent alluring. Barry had felt these soft lips on his before and he’d smelled this scent before. Barry’s heart was racing and he was feeling extremely hot. There was a wonderfully pleasant tickling in his stomach. 

It struck him with just as much force as the bolt of lightning that had turned him into the Flash. Nightbird was Blaine. Blaine was Nightbird. Barry pulled away from Blaine and stared at him in shock. 

Blaine took off his mask and smiled at him. “Oops, I did it again... I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t just kiss you like that because you wanna take things slow, but I’m kind of in a fragile state of mind and you look really hot in that suit.”

Barry just stood and stared. He had to come to terms with two incredible facts and he didn’t know which one was worse. 

Fact #1: Blaine was Nightbird. So Blaine was a thief. Suddenly, it all fit together. Blaine had almost seemed obsessed with the gemstones at the exhibition. The underside of Nightbird’s cape was his favorite color. He seemed to love birds as well. 

Fact #2: Nightbird was Blaine. And Nightbird was caught in a power-dampening net. Yet, Barry’s body had reacted heavily to the kiss. It still did. His heart was pounding. He was having butterflies in his stomach. Despite the net, he was feeling Blaine’s powers. Powers that obviously weren’t meta powers. Caitlin had been completely right. Barry was attracted to Blaine.

All of a sudden, Barry felt incredibly stupid. He could have figured it all out so much sooner, if he hadn’t been trying to fight his feelings for Blaine.

“Barry... Aren’t you going to say anything?” Blaine asked, getting more and more desperate. “I’m sorry. I know this is weird. I don’t wanna be your enemy. What I’m doing has nothing to do with you. To you, I just wanna be Blaine. Blaine who is... falling in love with you,” he said in a low, broken voice. 

The confession sent another shock wave through Barry. He tried to find words, but he didn’t quite succeed. “Blaine... I don’t know what to say. Why... are you doing this? Why are you stealing?”

“Because I have to,” Blaine said weakly. “Can you please let me go now? You know where I live. I promise I won’t leave Central City. Just let me go home, please. I’m feeling really bad about everything.”

As if driven by an invisible force, Barry pushed the button on the device in his hand. The net opened up and snapped back into the handle. 

Blaine was free again, but he looked crushed, heartbroken. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you, just forget about it. I will leave you alone.”

Barry still wasn’t ready to show any clear reaction to what Blaine had told him. He just watched as Blaine turned around, walked towards the edge of the roof and jumped. 

As Nightbird flew away, Barry watched his waving cape disappear into the night, still unable to think straight. He knew the truth now. But the truth was too much for him to handle. _Barry Allen was falling in love with a beautiful thief._

Suddenly, Barry heard Cisco’s voice through his earpiece. “What the fuck was _that_ all about?”


End file.
